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Masonic 
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^V LITTLE BOOUET A- 

FROM 

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32 



JOHN Sy'fELLIS. 

Author of "Ansvjer to Prayer," 

A Good or a Bright Mason" ami other 

'i.nvjritteii Masonic Poems. 




MUNCH 

PUBLISHKD BY THE AUTHOR 

18')5 



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Copyright, IS05 

BY 

John S. Ellis 



Friendship. 



Somewhere in the Garden of Kden there gfrew, 
Where its tendrils were watered with Heavenlj^ dew, 
A little g-reen vine, of species so rare 
That Adam and Eve knew not it was there 
Until the bold serpent had taug-ht them the way 
To discover such things when he led them astray. 

When the old couple first discovered the vine. 
And found that its fragrance was something- divine, 
They trained it to g-row at the side of their hearth. 
From thence it has spread to the ends of the earth ; 
In hot sandj^ desert, on mountains of snow, 
Wherever man plants it, 'twill flourish and grow. 

There is naiight in the world so mild, yet so strong-, 
There is nothing- so deep, so broad nor so long- ; 
It holds in its tendrils superlative power. 
Yet bears on its branches a sweet little flower. 
The threatenings of death it has often defied, 
And for it a Savior has sufl'ered and died. 

It binds up the wounds of the sick and the sad ; 

It helps to reform the vicious and bad ; 

It grows through the g-rates of the strong prison door, 

Unbinding- the victim that's chained to the floor. 

The seed is direct from God's garden above. 

This vine is true friendship ; its blossom pure love. 



We Meet Upon The Level. 

To meet upon the level 

Is an easy thing- to say, 
But when it conies to practice, 

Do we do it every day ? 

Do we meet him on the level 
If the brother chance to be 

Just a little out at elbow, 
Or bag-g-y at the knee ? 

When we meet him in his work sho]). 
Do we g-reet him with the g"rip 

That we do the noted statesman 
On our European trip? 

Do we meet him on the level then 
And g"ive him just the chance 

That we do the dashing- fellow 
With the creases in his pants ? 

If fortune does not smile on hitn 

In sunshine and repose. 
Do we meet him on the level 

In his second-handed clothes? 



Do we invite him to our church, 

And seat him in our pew, 
And warm our hearts by clasping- hands 

As brothers oug-ht to do ? 

Yes, we meet him on the level. 

On the broad Masonic plan. 
Whenever we know him to be 

A Mason and a Man. 

*' We'll meet him on the level," 
" And part upon the square," 

And then perhaps he'll vouch for us 
When we meet him over there. 






Survival of the Fittest. 

" Many men of many minds," 
How often you have read those lines, 
And copied them, over and over ag-ain, 
Concerning- birds, and fishes, and men. 

They carry us back to olden days ; 
The log- school house, old fashioned plays, 
Of base, and shinny, and others like these, 
Brig-ht moonlig^ht nig-hts, and spelling--bees. 

But many j^ears have slipped away. 
And many chang-es come to staj' ; 
Many of our dearest friends are g-one, 
Since you was "Jim" and I was "John." 

We've proven the truth of these old lines. 
There are " many men of many minds." 
Both you and I have lived to see 
So " man3^ men that can't ag-ree." 

But here, an alter we have found. 
Where one and all may g-ather 'round ; 
Where strife ne'er enters, save to see 
" Who best can work, and best ag-ree." 



Our land-marks stand, eternal wall, 
Thoug-h king-doms rise, and king-doms fall : 
Thoug-h nations come, and nations g-o. 
No changes doth our Order know. 

Adown the ag-es plainly seen, 
Come marching, from old Palestine, 
Their lines unbroken, well defined, 
Great multitudes of sing-le mind. 

And do you ask "from whence they sprang 
From where the Morning stars first sang ; 
Where Israel's hosts first dealt the blow 
That felled the walls of Jerico. 

From where the Ark first found a rest, 
On Ar-a-rat's bold towering crest, 
From Arctic clime, from Torrid zone. 
From toiler's cot, from gilded throne. 

From snowy Alp, from burning sand, 
From every nation, every land, 
Whate'er their name or station be. 
All gather 'round this family tree. 

One mind, one aim, one language rare, 
Free-Masons sprang from everywhere 
That wisdom ruled or genius wrought, 
Survival of the fittest thought. 



Mary and John." 



John Jones was courting- Miss Mary Ann Brown, 
And the first thing- they knew it was all over town 
That John was a Mason, and Mary declared 
She'd marry no man whose secrets were shared 
With a g-reat lot of men and kept from his wife ; 
So she'd not marr\^ him, you could just bet your life. 

" To think of my husband knowing- thing-s he won't tell 
To his own lawful wife, I'll just wait a spell ; 
If he don't come around and squarely agree, 
As soon as he learns them to tell them to me, 
I'll g-ive him the mitten, that's just what I'll do. 
Then he can g-o marry that big- Sally Drew." 

John hearing- of this at once made a call. 

And promised Mary Ann that he would tell all 

The secrets of Masons that he ever knew, 

Vowing- never to speak to big- Sally Drew. 

He was perfectly safe in all that he said. 

He had only petitioned and the Drew g-irl was dead. 

Then seating himself in an old-fashioned chair, 

He said, "Mary Ann, I vow and declare 

To tell all I know of this monstrous affair. 

If you'll keep the secret." " I'll do it, so there." 



Then John commenced slowly — scratching- his head, 
He had to make up every word that he said : 
" The first time I went to that miserable place, 
I was met at the door and stared in the face 
By a g-host, or a g-obli'n, of monstrous size ; 
He'd a nose a foot long-, and g^reat g-og-g-le eyes. 

" He caug-ht me b}- the hair, and in thunderous tone? 
He 3'elled in my ear ' We've g-ot you, John Jones, 
So come rig-ht along- and rattle the bones.' 

"Then drag-g-ing me into a long, dark hall, 
Where skeletons were hanging- around on the wall. 
They made me shake every skeleton's hand. 
Just to g-et the g-rip of their g-hostly band. 

" Then being- divested of all my clothes, 

From the crown of my head to the ends of my toes, 

I was led into a dark and dismal room, 

Where tar would look white, compared with the g-loom. 

And I heard the voice of the big- g-oblin say, 

' Strike a lig-ht, John Jones, and make your own way.' 

" ' I can't,' said I, ' you g-ive me no chance,' 

Then he scratched a match on the seat of my pants — " 

" Hold on, John Jones, you're a leetle too fast ; 

You think you are smart, but I've caug-ht you at last," 

(Said Mary Ann Brown, with a kind of a leer ;) 

" Didn't you just say you was naked, my dear ? " 



" Oh yes, Mar^^ Ann, but then, don't 3'ou see, 
He scratched the match where my pants oug-ht to be 
And he scratched so hard that he wounded the skin, 
And that's where their Free-Mason brand comes in.' 

" But as I was saying- : procuring- a lig"ht, 
I looked round the room and oh ! what a sig-ht ! 
There on a throne rig-ht opposite the door, 
The boss g-oblin sat, and crouched on the floor 
Were other hob-g-oblins and g-hosts b3^ the score. 

"The3^ seemed to sit there in silent repose, 
Until finall}^ the old boss g-oblin arose 
And said, ' Brother Jones, the sig-n we'll disclose ; ' 
Then each g-oblin placed his thumb to his nose. 
And wig-g^led his fing-ers, and wag-g-led his toes. 

"Then rig'-ht in front of their g'-hostly throne. 
They made me kneel down on a red-hot stone. 
And there remain until I would sa^^ 
These secrets I'll keep, let come what may. 

"I further declare, and solemnh^ vow, 

That when I g-et married, (if not married now,) 

I'll ever hold sacred the marriag-e vows ; 

I'll build the fires and milk the cows ; 

And if ever I tell any person at all, 

You may hang- me out in skeleton hall, 

That all new members may rattle m^^ bones ; — 
Sig-ned — ' Oblig-ation of Brother John Jones.' 



"And now, Mar3^ Ann, I trust you will see, 

Just what the awful results would be 

If the Mason's found out that 'I've g-ave them away,' 

So let's g-o rig-ht off and g-et married to-da3\" 

"John Jones," said Mary, "I've listened to you, 
And allow that — part of your story is true ; 
But thinking- it over, I'm inclined to say. 
That g-oblin business, that's all childish play. 
But — some of the other — them marriag-e vows. 
And building- the fires — and milking- the cows. 
Of course that's different, dear John, — and so — 
I g-uess we mi^^ht as well call it a g-o. 

" For to think of your bones hang-ing- out in that hall — 
Why — John, I never could stand it — at — all — 
And if — they'd only scratched your hand 
Instead of your — your — pants when they g-ave you the 
brand I " 

Now, my brethren, there's a moral in this : 

If you would insure connubial bliss, 

Like Brother John Jones, always act by the — well 

You can join what you please as long- as you tell I 



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